Appalachian White Pine - Mesic Oak Forest - Ecological Community of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NatureServe Unique Identifier: CEGL007517: Pinus strobus - Quercus alba - (Carya alba) / Gaylussacia ursina Forest

Park Vegetation Plot Summary

Tree Canopy: Carya alba, Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia fraseri, Pinus strobus, Quercus alba.

Tree subcanopy: N/A

Tall Shrubs and Saplings: N/A

Herbs (field): Goodyera pubescens, Medeola virginiana, Mitchella repens, Polystichum acrostichoides, Thelypteris noveboracensis

Nonvascular: N/A

GLOBAL COMMUNITY CONCEPT

This association covers mesic pine-oak-hickory in the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment and in the Piedmont transition, found below 2,900 feet elevation, on protected ridges, mid to upper slopes, and in disturbed bottoms.
Canopies are dominated by variable mixtures of Pinus strobus, Quercus alba, Quercus velutina, Carya alba, and Acer rubrum.
- Other canopy species may include Liriodendron tulipifera, Tsuga canadensis, Quercus rubra, Quercus falcata, Quercus prinus, and Magnolia fraseri.
Subcanopy and saplings include canopy species and Cornus florida, Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, Oxydendrum arboreum, and Nyssa sylvatica.
Shrub layers are moderate to dense, with Gaylussacia ursina and Kalmia latifolia most commonly dominating.
- Other shrubs include Rhododendron minus, Rhododendron maximum, Symplocos tinctoria, Arundinaria gigantea, Castanea dentata, Sassafras albidum, Amelanchier arborea, Pyrularia pubera, and Hydrangea radiata.
The herb stratum is sparse, although ferns (Thelypteris noveboracensis, Dennstaedtia punctilobula and Polystichum acrostichoides) may occasionally dominate.
- Common herbs include Chimaphila maculata, Viola hastata, Goodyera pubescens, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum biflorum, Monotropa uniflora, Trillium catesbaei, Desmodium nudiflorum, Eupatorium purpureum, Galium circaezans, Galium latifolium, Galax urceolata, Hexastylis shuttleworthii, Medeola virginiana, Mitchella repens, and Houstonia purpurea.

PARK VEGETATION PLOT SUMMARY

N/A

DISTRIBUTION

North America:
This community is known from the escarpment region of the Southern Blue Ridge.

In the Park:
This association was not observed or sampled on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle or Cades Cove quadrangle but is likely in low-elevation, disturbed areas of the Cades Cove quadrangle and in other parts of the park.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Global Status:

Global Conservation Status Rank: G3G4 (Last reviewed: 10 23 2003).
This community is geographically restricted and uncommon within its range.
- Grank changed to G3G4 from G2G3 on the recommendation of Gary Kauffman, USDA Forest Service.

Park Status:

Picking, digging, or otherwise damaging plants is prohibited in the Park. Collection is allowed only by special permit for research or educational purposes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Field Work:

NatureServe

Supporting Institutions:

N/A

Forest Association Described By:

K.D. Patterson

Web Page:

Charles Wilder.

Photographs:

NatureServe

Maps:

to be provided

REFERENCES

Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.

Ambrose, J. 1990a. Georgia's natural communities--A preliminary list. Unpublished document. Georgia Natural Heritage Inventory. 5 pp.

NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.

Schafale, M. 1998b. Fourth approximation guide. High mountain communities. March 1998 draft. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.

Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.

Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.

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